About swapping out the backs. First, I would rather not have to buy extra backs. They're quite cheap, yes, but, many of one adds up. Seems like there are a few people on here who have ten lenses, five bodies, and all the trimmings--but that aint me.

Second, it certainly is fast to swap out the backs, but they have to be loaded sooner or later. And yes, 20 seconds IS a long time for me--as I suspect it is for many. It's not that I'm impatient, per se (I'll wait hours to get a shot), it's just that this is one area where I would rather be doing something else.

Third, those Hassy backs are bulky as all hell. I like to roll with just one camera, one lens.

I have owned a Mamiya C330 and I have two Hasselblads. It is faster to swap backs on a Hasselblad than load a C330. Furthermore one can change film types mid-roll on a Hasselblad without wasting a frame or the rest of the roll. The Mamiyia C330 is much more fiddlely requiring flipping from one side to the other to set and cock some of the lenses. There is no such nonsense with a Hasselblad.

As regular APUG visitors will know, Sirius and his C330 did not get along well with each other, whereas he and his Hasselblads have bonded like family.

I'm just the opposite - when I used to sell cameras, I found the Hasselblad 500C awkward and difficult to handle and use.

Isn't it great that we have choices!

By the way, I think advocating for a camera with interchangeable backs in response to the OP's question is cheating .

And I can load my C330 faster than I can load the backs and inserts for either my Mamiya 645 Pro or my Mamiya RB67 - not much faster, but still faster.

Matt

“Photography is a complex and fluid medium, and its many factors are not applied in simple sequence. Rather, the process may be likened to the art of the juggler in keeping many balls in the air at one time!”

Ansel Adams, from the introduction to The Negative - The New Ansel Adams Photography Series / Book 2

being left one-handd, this is an interesting subject to me. however, i'm afraidthe answer is 'digital!

Ralph:

I'm mostly left one-handed.

I have a bit of dexterity in my right hand (I can work the film crank on my cameras, but cannot accurately adjust shutter speeds or apertures).

A Mamiya C330 or 645 Pro with a left hand trigger grip works well for me.

Matt

“Photography is a complex and fluid medium, and its many factors are not applied in simple sequence. Rather, the process may be likened to the art of the juggler in keeping many balls in the air at one time!”

Ansel Adams, from the introduction to The Negative - The New Ansel Adams Photography Series / Book 2

Being able to focus with either the left or right focus knob probably works well for you, too.

On the C330 and RB67, it certainly does!

For the 645 Pro, I like the focus assist lever on those lenses it fits on, because I can use that with my right hand.

Matt

“Photography is a complex and fluid medium, and its many factors are not applied in simple sequence. Rather, the process may be likened to the art of the juggler in keeping many balls in the air at one time!”

Ansel Adams, from the introduction to The Negative - The New Ansel Adams Photography Series / Book 2

For me, the mamiya 7 is the fastest non-interchangeable-back loading. Compared to other cameras I've used, the spools pop in and out very easily. If I'm out with the hasselblad and shoot multiple rolls of a couple of film types, I'm not going to carry multiple backs for each film, so eventually I'll have to reload a back, and it may not occur at the most opportune moment... So loading speed is still a factor for me.

The Fujifilm GA645 would be even faster. The rolls pop out almost instantly and once the film is threaded, the autowinder does the rest of the job. VERY fast.

I am going to say Mamiya 7, but that's because it's the only non-interchangeble back camera I own in Medium Format. I can load it faster than I can load my Leica and can do it with minimum fuss, standing, on the go, etc...

About swapping out the backs. First, I would rather not have to buy extra backs. They're quite cheap, yes, but, many of one adds up. Seems like there are a few people on here who have ten lenses, five bodies, and all the trimmings--but that aint me.

Second, it certainly is fast to swap out the backs, but they have to be loaded sooner or later. And yes, 20 seconds IS a long time for me--as I suspect it is for many. It's not that I'm impatient, per se (I'll wait hours to get a shot), it's just that this is one area where I would rather be doing something else.

Third, those Hassy backs are bulky as all hell. I like to roll with just one camera, one lens.

You can't have everything, life is about compromise and you want the impossible, medium format photography is about a more leisurely and considered approach, you have a cannon not a machine gun, if 20 seconds is too long for you to reload and you need to reload M/F cameras far more times than 35mm ones and you don't want interchangeable backs then roll film isn't for you, I suggest you stay with 35 mm if you want to shoot film.

Last edited by benjiboy; 01-14-2013 at 09:28 AM. Click to view previous post history.